Vlad learns a lesson
by Jessica01
Summary: Vlad thinks that raising a family is easy. Can the Fenton children prove him wrong? Contains OC
1. Chapter 1

**Vlad learns a lesson**

"Common sense is the best sense I know of."

Lord Chesterfield

**Disclaimer: **I do not own **"Danny Phantom" **or **"Fairly Odd Parents"**

Vlad was over for dinner. He only accepted the invitation to spend more time with Maddie.

"Raising three children must be so easy." Vlad said during dinner.

"Oh, no it isn't, Vlad! Having to deal with broken curfews, broken rules, broken vases," Here, Jack glared at Sarah, who had broken Maddie's least favorite wedding gift.

"Oh, Jack, you aren't still holding that against the sweet girl, are you, now? You know I never liked that vase." Maddie said.

"It was still a wedding gift, and it wouldn't have been broken if she had listened to us and not thrown that baseball."

"Well, broken rules, curfews, and vases aside. it still must be easy, especially in a middle class neighborhood like this."

"I'll tell you what, Vlad. This weekend Jack and I are going on a trip to celebrate our twentieth anniversary. Why don't you stay here and keep an eye on the kids? Jazz will help you, but you'll be in charge. That means feeding, disciplining, and setting down rules- only applicable during this week-end, of course." Maddie said.

"Why, that's a great idea, Maddie-cakes." Jack said.

"That way, we'll know that our kids are being taken good care of by their uncle Vlad!"

Later, when the three kids were upstairs, and the adults were downstairs, Jazz, Danny, and Sarah met in Sarah's room.

"Could you clean up a little in here, little sis?" Jazz asked.

"It's clean enough for me."

"Girls, can we please get back to the subject at hand?" Danny asked.

"Alright, Dan-Dan," Sarah said. "I say we act horribly, just to teach Vlad that raising kids isn't easy."

"Yes!" All three agreed.

"High-five!" Sarah held her hand up to Jazz, who high-fived her. She turned to Danny, who also high-fived her.

"Jazz will probably be in charge of dinner. Danny, you and I will be in charge of coming in late, coming to dinner late, and picking on him about getting a cat."

"You got it planned already? What if Danny has to fight him again?"

"He won't."

"What makes you so sure?"

He'll have to take it seriously if he wants to convince Mom to leave Dad."

"Right." Danny said.

"Mom and Dad will probably make him check your homework." Jazz pointed out.

"True, but do you think he will?"

They heard someone coming up the stairs.

"My homework is in front of my door, and so is where I wrote it down."

"Thank you, Miss Badger. I'll just take it down to your parents. They won't be back until Monday night, so I will have to check it Friday and Monday afternoon."

"Yes, sir. I'll leave it in front of my door."

Vlad took her homework downstairs to show her parents.

"Otherwise, I'll misbehave to show him how wrong he is, thinking it's easy to raise a family."

"I will, too." Danny said.

"You two are young enough to do that. But what will I do?" Jazz asked.

"Be really opionated." Danny suggested.

"Insist that he can't punish us physically because it'll damage our self-esteem, or something." Sarah suggested.

"Good idea."


	2. Chapter 2

**Maddie and Jack go to Hawaii**

So many tangles in life are ultimately hopeless that we have no appropriate sword other than laughter. ~Gordon W. Allport

**Disclaimer: **See first chapter

Jack and Maddie left the next day, while Danny, Sarah, and Jazz were still in school. Vlad had Bernard drive him to their house. He had asked, and his chauffer could also stay at the house, provided that he not interfere with Vlad's "learning process." Sarah came home first, since the elementary school was closer to the house. She opened the door, came in, and closed it softly, since she still felt like her parents were still home.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! School sucked!"

"They went to Hawaii today, remember, Ms. Badger?" Vlad called from the living room, where he was watching T.V.

"Come in here, Ms Badger." Sarah slipped her back pack off of her shoulders between the foyer and the living room.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Masters?" She asked, grabbing on to the door frame.

"It's 'Uncle Vlad', until Monday night. Stop getting your finger prints all over the door frame, and come here."

"And no 'Vlad Dracula' jokes, either." Sarah walked over to Vlad's chair and stood in front of him, arms crossed.

"Uncross your arms, young lady." Sarah let her arms hang at her side. She was wearing her DEATH TO FLUFFY T-shirt. It was her favorite band.

"No sleeve-less shirts this week-end, young lady."

"Monday?"

"Only if you don't have any school shirts with sleeves." She had plenty, but didn't let him know.

"Yes, sir. I hope you remember that any rules you make won't apply after Mom and Dad come home."

"I remember. But thanks for reminding me, anyway. Go get started on your homework."

"On a Friday?"

"Well, go put your school things away."

"Yes, sir." She ran and picked up her back pack. She ran upstairs and dropped it on the floor with a thump. She was running back downstairs just as Danny came home.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! School was great!" He also forgot that they had gone to Hawaii.

"Hawaii!" Sarah called from the foyer.

"Oh, yeah! I'll be down in the lab!"

"Alright!" Vlad called. Sarah opened the door.

"I'm taking a walk!" Sarah called, before slamming the door. She skipped down the front walk. She looked around. No one was near. She transformed. Her hair turned white, her clothes turned black, and the rings were both blue, like Danny's. She took off flying. _It's a good thing I didn't tell ''Vlad Dracula" what I'm really doing. He may decide to test me._

She flew over Sam's house.

"Hi, Sam!" She called to the Goth girl, who was taking the trash out. Sam waved. She and Tucker knew that Vlad was sitting for the Fenton's, so they stayed away. Sarah circled an abandoned house three times. She didn't really want to go home yet, since Vlad was there. She figured he'd just bother her, asking her all about her father's latest invention, which she didn't know anything about, but he probably wouldn't believe her. She thought that since most little kids were picky eaters, she should be one until her parents came back. She decided to talk to Danny about that. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

She flew around for an hour, and then flew home. Jazz should be home and fixing dinner, or at least planning it. She coasted down to the door, changed back into a human, and walked in.

"Sarah? Is that you?" Jazz called.

"Yes."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Pizza!"

"All right, that's two votes for pizza, one vote for oatmeal, (Sarah made a face. _That had to be Dracula,_ she thought.) and one for hamburgers." That had to be Danny. Jazz was the first one to vote for pizza.

"I'm going to be a picky eater if we have oatmeal." Sarah muttered under her breath.

"If we have oatmeal, I will feed it to you like a baby, Sarah! I know you don't like it!" Vlad called.

"Did you have to tell him about that, Jazz?"

"It slipped out. You know how I always have to remind Mom and Dad!"

"I remember, but he isn't Mom OR Dad."

Sarah went down to the lab. Danny was taking a break.

"I'm thinking that I should be a picky eater until Monday night. Is that a good idea or not?"

"Do it. Then when Vlad tries to spank you, Jazz can start telling him that he can't punish you physically because that would damage your self-esteem."

"You're right. I knew you'd come up with something." Sarah ran upstairs, slamming the door to the lab. She ran into the kitchen.

"Why are you slamming doors and running so much?" Vlad asked, coming in.

"I came in to see how dinner is coming along." He told Jazz.

"I'm making macaroni and cheese, since everyone likes it."

"You never answered my question." Vlad said, turning to Sarah.

"Mom and Dad don't let me." Sarah said, running out and slamming the door.

She transformed and flew into the sky. She decided to check out that abandoned house not far from theirs, over on the next street. She flew off, not even thinking of telling where she was going. She was telepathically linked to her half-brother, since they were both ghost hybrids. She flew to the house and landed on the porch. She went in and looked around. She saw a pasty-faced, yellow-haired teen-ager come out of a swirling green-and-white vortex.

"Hey, I know you. You're Johnny Thirteen. Danny told me about you."

"Yeah, that's me. I used to be Johnny Thirsteen when I was alive."

"How did you die?"

"I was run over by an eighteen- wheeler not far from here. It was dark and stormy. I was going too fast to stop in time. I ran a red light, and an eighteen-wheeler ran me over. My girl Kitty was with me on the back. She died as well."

"Oh, how sad."

Jazz went down to the lab, where Danny was quitting for the day.

"Sarah left. "

"Okay. I'll get her and make sure we're late coming home."

Danny contacted Sarah through telepathy.

_Where are you?_

_I'm only one street from the house._

"Well, I don't know why Mom & Dad had to ask him over. I could watch you two."

Danny phased through the floor and the front door, and then he flew to the house.

He phased through its front door, just as Johnny was asking Sarah, "Want to hop on the back of my bike and take a tour of the ghost zone?"

"Sorry, Johnny, she's going to have to sit this one out."

Sarah turned to Danny. "Will we be late for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Great!" They ran out, already transformed. They flew around aimlessly until the street lamps came on. They landed in front of their house and transformed back into humans. They were running in, laughing when Vlad confronted them.

"And just where have you two been?!"

"Sorry, Vlad. I was practicing my powers and Sarah was watching. We just lost track of time."

"You two go straight to your rooms! No dinner! We'll see if you lose track of time again."

"Yes, sir." Danny and Sarah started to go upstairs.

"Mom and Dad told you we'd be late for dinner sometimes." Jazz said.

"Then they should have been teaching the three of you to be on time."


	3. Chapter 3

**Going to Wisconsin**

"A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success." ~Elbert Hubbard

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "**Danny Phantom**", **Zip loc, **or **Phisoderm.**

The next morning, Sarah woke up and got out of bed. Vlad stuck his head into her room.

"Good morning, Ms. Badger. Hurry up and get dressed, or you'll miss breakfast. Then you need to get packed, because we're going to my house, so I can keep a better eye on the three of you. And perhaps catch that practical joker."

_Darn it. He must be on to us. _Sarah thought.

"Mom and Dad should have told you to expect some practical jokes. We Fentons have a good sense of humor."

"I know who the practical jokers were. You planned it, and either Danny or Jazz set it up. This way, at my house, you two will be separated, and have cameras trained on you almost 24 hours a day."

"You'll be spying on us?"

"In a word, yes."

"What if we don't want to go? What if we have plans today and tomorrow with our friends?"

"You'll just have to cancel them. You have to do what the sitter tells you to do."

"You just gonna take us to Wisconsin, or are you going to call Mom and Dad?"

"I've already called them."

"Get out of here so I can get dressed."

"Is that any way to talk to your elders?"

"Please leave."

"That's better." He left, closing the door.

Sarah took off her pajamas and put on some shorts. Then she went to her closet and slipped on a sleeved shirt. (Another DEATH TO FLUFFY.)

She got her bags out and started to pack. She put in her clothes (all but one shirt had sleeves.), deodorant, and brush (after using both.) She went into the kitchen and got two Ziploc® bags and a sandwich bag. She went back to her room and into the bathroom. She put her toothbrush in the sandwich bag, and dropped it and her tooth paste into one of the Ziploc® bags. She put her **Phisoderm **and shampoo in the other bag together. Then she put her bear in. She zipped the bag up. Then she put on her socks and shoes. She picked her bag, back pack and notebook up and left her room. Vlad met her and took both bags.

"Well, Ms. Badger, I suspect you're quiet ravenous after not eating last night."

"Yes, sir." Sarah lied.

"Then you shouldn't refuse to eat oatmeal today." Sarah made a face.

"You're still being picky? We'll have to fix that, won't we?"

"Yes, sir." Jazz came up the hall.

"Vlad, if you spank my little sister, you might damage her self-esteem." she said.

"I won't spank her. You'll punish her for being a picky eater."

"If she wants to be picky, let her be picky."

"Jazzmin Madeline, You can not be serious! Let a nine-year- old child keep being a picky eater! Your family should have dealt with this when she was younger."

"True, we should have." Jazz said, starting to lead Sarah down stairs. Sarah broke away and slid down the banister. Jazz laughed and ran downstairs. She led Sarah into the kitchen. Sarah sat down in front of the oatmeal and looked up at Jazz, who knelt down beside her.

"Sarah, little sis, you have to eat this oatmeal. How about I add some strawberry preserves?"

"Please? Why didn't I think of that?" Jazz smiled as she stood up. She went into the refrigerator and got the preserves from the door. She got a spoon and went back to the table. She opened the jar and got a big spoonful out. She put it in the oatmeal.

"Why does Vlad prefer the unflavored kind?" Sarah asked.

"People's taste change over the years." Jazz said, stirring the preserves into the oatmeal, so that Sarah wouldn't eat all of it at once.

Danny came downstairs and put his bags beside the door. He came into the kitchen. He was wearing a green chain around his neck. (Cosmo) Sarah already had a glass of milk. He handed her a pink chain. (Wanda)

"I thought Sarah hated oatmeal. You left this in the bathroom." he said.

"Thanks." Sarah said, slipping it over her head.

"Only the unflavored kind." Jazz said, putting the preserves up.

"The kind Vlad just about lives off of." Sarah said, before taking a big spoonful.

Vlad came in. "Ms. Badger's eating oatmeal by herself."

"It just needs to be flavored." Jazz said. "Like with strawberry preserves."

"Oh, well, if you had only told me that."

"It just slipped my mind."

"Well, just hurry up and finish, so we can go. I'll have Bernard put your bags in the car." Bernard had been sleeping on the couch.

"I need to get some things to do on the trip." Sarah remembered.

"Hurry and drink your milk." Vlad said.

Sarah drained her glass. Then she turned invisible, and phased through the floor up to her room.

She turned back to human and grabbed a smaller bag. She got her disc man, extra batteries, her DEATH TO FLUFFY CD, (Constant Wanderings), and put them in her bag. Then she got her flashlight, some pencils, her notebooks, and some word search books. (Those books that she left in the limo, in "Vlad tries again", chapter eight, he gave to her, to try to stay on Maddie's good side, although he said it was because she was so sweet.)

She turned invisible and phased through the floor again.

Downstairs, while she was upstairs, Vlad had asked, "Where did she get ghost powers?"

"She grabbed my hand after I accidentally cut it and was bleeding while chopping some carrots for a salad." Danny lied.

"Oh. Were you helping out around the house?"

"I was making one for Sam."

"Ah, yes, the recyclo vegetarian, your little girlfriend."

"She is not my girlfriend!"

"Daniel, if you can tease me about 'needing' a cat, I can tease you about the girl you hang out with."

"Speaking of which, I need to call her and Tucker and tell them where we're going." Danny said.

Sarah put the bag beside the door, but then she picked it up again. She would need it in the back with her. She remembered what happened last time she had put her shoes on the limo seats. She would take her shoes off before she did that again. She would tell Vlad that her parents didn't allow shoes on the furniture, so she figured he wouldn't, either, even in the car. She put her dishes in the dish washer.

"Time to go, kids." Vlad said.

"You'll have to tell us your rules when we get to your house, or on the way there." Danny said. They left.

"I'll tell you the rules on the way there, Daniel, my boy." Vlad said, herding them out. Bernard opened the doors for them and tried to take Sarah's bag.

"I'll need it in the car with me." she said.

"All right, madam." They all got in and buckled up. Bernard closed the doors for them and got in the front. He backed out of the drive way and into the street.

"Now, the first rule is, I like it quiet when I'm trying to sleep. So no telling jokes after eleven. No shoes on the furniture ...or limo seats, Daniel." Danny had stretched his legs out and turned sideways. He quickly sat right.

"No animals, no long-distance phone calls-unless it's an emergency and you have to call your parents, or I do. This reminds me, Ms. Badger. I told your parents about the practical jokes and they did tell me about everyone's sense of humor. They also told me that you're the one who always comes up with the jokes. They didn't say who executed them, just who came up with them. I am _very _disappointed in you. You will go to your room when we get to my house and think about what you've done."

"Yes, sir."

"Good."

"I have the emergency numbers. No food in your rooms. We don't want any bugs. No running or slamming doors. My study is off limits to you three unless I send for you to come in. No sliding down the banisters, or running on the stairs. No jumping on the beds, curfew is at ten for everyone. I will lock the door at that time, dinner is at seven sharp. Don't worry, Jazzmin, Cook will make it. If you're late, you won't eat. And no using ghost powers to get in or to get food. I'll know if you do." He would not expound on that.

"But Vlad, Mom and Dad told you..." Danny started.

"That you will be late sometimes. I understand, but there are rules you must follow. I wish you three could stay with me longer, but that won't be possible."

"It might be, if you don't mind having to get us to school. Or maybe it could be during the summer." Jazz said.

"I'll speak to your parents. I've so enjoyed having you three to teach me how it is to raise a family." Fibbing, fibbing, fibbing!

"All right, Vlad. But don't expect perfect obedience, 'cause you won't get it. We aren't perfect." Sarah said.

"Oh, I don't expect you to be perfect. I wasn't perfect when I was nine, fourteen, or sixteen."

They talked on and off on the way to Wisconsin. Sarah would read, do a word search, or listen to her discman. Sometimes, she would talk.

Sarah fell asleep with "Just for once", a ballad, playing and on repeat.

She woke up later in a strange bed. She soon recognized it from when Vlad had kidnapped her. She was in Wisconsin.

"And so it begins. I wonder what pranks I can pull on him here? I better not, since he already knows it's me."


	4. Chapter 4

**First night at Vlad's**

**Disclaimer: **As always, see previous chapters. I do not own Coke®

Later, after Sarah unpacked, James came upstairs and told her that dinner was ready.

"Seven already? Time sure flies when you're un-packing and thinking of the mischief you've done." Not really, but she was planning some. She had made sure to pack a stuffed cat. She would turn invisible, rub the stuffed cat against Vlad's legs, and meow. Later tonight, maybe when he was bathing. No, then she would probably never "unsee" Vlad naked. She shivered at the thought. Then she went downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Hi, I'm hungry." She said.

"We have to wait for Danny." Jazz said.

"Did someone say my name?" Danny asked, coming downstairs.

"You're all right!" Sarah said, running and hugging her brother.

"Ms. Badger, I'm hurt. I told you I wouldn't hurt him." Vlad said.

"We know you're evil, Vlad Plasmius." Danny said. His ghost sense went off.

"We all know who you are."

"And I know who you are, Daniel. If you don't want your sisters to know your secret..."

"Too late. We already know." Sarah said.

"Well, let's all sit down and eat, shall we?" Sarah sat across from Vlad.

_I saw Danny's ghost sense go off. Vlad must employ several ghosts. Why didn't it go off when we first got here? May be it did, and we just didn't notice it. _(It did.)

"No kicking me under the table." Vlad said. Sarah said nothing. If she pretended she didn't hear him, maybe she could kick him all she wanted to. Dinner was fried chicken. Sarah ate three pieces.

"I see our Ms. Badger is hungry." Vlad said. Jazz didn't eat.

"Well, eldest Badger, aren't you hungry?" Vlad asked.

"No. Not right now."

"Jazz, he told us no food in our rooms." Danny said.

"Ah, you were listening when I listed my rules."

_We'll have to know his rules so we can break them._ Sarah thought.

_I'm glad Vlad apparently can't read minds._

Jazz started to eat.

"That's a good eldest badger." Vlad said. Sarah kicked him

"Didn't I tell you not to kick me?" Vlad asked her.

"I didn't hear you."

"You're hearing me now. Don't do it again."

"Kick you again? Yes, sir." Sarah kicked him again.

"Stop it." Vlad told her. James put their drinks down

"I would advise you to listen to him, Ms. Sarah."

"He's not my father."

"He does have the authority to punish you, though, Ms."

"Stop kicking him, Sarah." Danny said.

"Yes, Danny."

"That's better, although I'm surprised you chose to listen to your brother and not your sitter." Vlad said.

After dinner, Sarah started to help clean up.

"No, Ms. Badger, that's why I have servants." Vlad laughed.

"But I always help clean up at home."

"You're not home."

"Yes, sir." Sarah reluctantly went up stairs. She went into her room to plan her trick._ I could do it now, I guess. He may be in his study, so I can see it. I already know he has the monitoring station in there, since I was reading his mind when Jazz accused him of having cameras almost all over the place._

She grabbed her cat, turned invisible, and phased through the floor, looking for Vlad. She floated through the house until she came to the study, where she phased through the door. Found him, and...the monitoring station.

_Alright! Pay dirt!_

She saw where Jazz was reading on her bed, probably about psychology. She saw where Danny was also reading on his bed. She saw her room. Vlad saw where her room was empty.

"She's probably in the bathroom. She did eat a lot. Probably her father's genes."

Sarah floated to his ankles, rubbed the cat against them and said "Meow."

Vlad jumped. "How could a ghastly cat get into my house? Why can't I see it?!"

Sarah smothered her giggles and flew out of the study. She flew back to her room. She turned back into a human, giggling like mad. She put the cat on her bed. Now to find Danny and tell him about it. She turned invisible again, and phased through the door. She went past Jazz's room. No need to tell her. She may get fussed at for her fun. She floated past every room, until she couldn't recognize any of them. All the doors were colorful, the same colors as the first half of the mansion. She phased through a yellow door, thinking she would find Danny. She did.

"Hey, Danny." she whispered.

Danny sat up. "Sarah?"

"I knew I'd find you before tomorrow morning. I just played the meanest trick on Vlad."

"What'd you do? Did it have anything to with cats?"

"Yes. I turned invisible, took my stuffed cat, and found Vlad in his study. He does have cameras almost everywhere. They aren't in the bathrooms, or his study, just like we thought. I rubbed the cat against his leg and said 'Meow'. He jumped back and asked himself out loud, 'How could a ghastly cat get inside my house! Why can't I see it?!' "

Danny laughed.

"He also doesn't have any cameras in the halls. I don't think he can hear us." Sarah said.

"All right. But you get back to your room."

"All right." Sarah phased back through the door and flew past all the other doors until she could recognize the rooms again. She turned back into a human. She went walking up the hall as Vlad came upstairs.

"Hello, Ms. Badger."

"Hi, Vlad. I was just walking off a leg cramp."

_A likely story. She was probably looking for Danny. _Vlad thought.

"Well, Ms. Badger, I trust that you want to go and explore a little outside?"

"Yes, sir. May I?"

"Curfew's at ten."

"Yes, sir." Sarah went downstairs. She opened the front door, and stepped out. She transformed, and took off into the air.

_Vlad didn't say that I had to stay on his property._ She flew a few feet, and landed on the ground. She turned back into a human. She looked around and saw another mansion. She started to walk around. An old lady- surprisingly strong for her age- grabbed her arm.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here!" She demanded.

"Sarah Fenton, I'm staying with Vlad Masters! He's an old college room mate of my father's!"

"Vlad Masters, the billionaire, did you say?"

"Yes."

"He killed my cat. I want to get back at him for that. I think you may be the ticket, my dear."

"He doesn't care about me, and killing me will not bring your cat back!"

"I know it won't bring Ms. Tibbles back."

"I knew Vlad doesn't like cats, but to kill them? No wonder he re-acts like that when my brother and I tell him he needs a cat." The lady dragged Sarah up to her house.

_I hope I get back before ten. _Sarah thought. _What would Danny do? He would phase through the door and run away._

_Maybe when she's distracted._

The lady pushed Sarah into a chair.

"Wait here while I go to the bathroom and think about my plan."

_I'll admit it's the smallest room in the house, but is it really a good place to hatch plans? _Sarah wondered. She watched the lady toddle off to the bathroom.

She heard a door close. Now was her chance! She stood up, went to the front door, and phased through it. She transformed into her ghost form. She flew back to Vlad's, landed, and transformed back into a human. She walked back up to the house and went in.

"Ah, Miss Badger! Back so soon? Did you have a nice walk?" Vlad asked.

"The first part was okay. But then I went onto this old lady's land, and she dragged me into her house, after she found out that I was staying with you. She said you killed her cat and that she was going to use me to get back at you for it."

"Ah, that would be Ms. Diaz. I didn't kill her cat, but she keeps saying I did."

"I waited till she was distracted, then phased through the front door, and came back."

"Clever girl."

"I just thought of what Danny would do." Danny was coming downstairs.

"What?"

"I went to explore a little and this old lady who thinks Vlad killed her cat- he says he didn't- dragged me into her house and said that she was going to use me to get back at him. She went off to the bathroom, and I phased through the door and flew back here. I just thought 'what would Danny do?' and I came up with a plan."

"I WOULD have done that." Danny said, smiling and proud of his little sister.

"I'm thirsty." He went into the kitchen.

"Hello, young man. What are you doing here?" A kindly middle-aged woman asked.

His ghost sense went off. The lady was not the lunch lady.

"I'm thirsty, so I figured I could get something to drink."

"What would you like? Water, Coke®, tea, apple juice..."

"Apple juice would be fine, ma'am."

"I'll get it. You wait right here." She went to the cabinet and got out a glass.

Danny saw her phase her arm through the refrigerator and get the apple juice. She opened it and poured him some. She floated back to him.

_Why didn't I notice her floating to begin with?_ He took it and drank it. He handed the glass back to her.

"Thanks." He left and went back to his room. He stopped at Sarah's. He opened the door and stuck his head in.

"You need..."

"To apologize to Vlad for all the tricks I've played on him. I will Monday afternoon."

"Good. Take..."

"A bath, since I didn't take one last night."

"Good." He left.

Sarah got everything ready for her bath. She went into the bathroom and put her clothes on the sink. She went to the linen closet and got out a towel and bath cloth. She undressed, got her shampoo, and got in the tub. She put the stopper in and turned on the water. She washed her hair and turned the water off. She got the rag wet, lathered it, and bathed. She got out, dried off, and got dressed. She got her dirty clothes and left the bathroom. She smiled at Vlad as he came upstairs.

"Ah! All fresh and ready for bed, I see."

"I may be fresh, but I'm not quite ready for bed." She said, as she went into her room. It was only ten. She went over the rules in her head.

_No telling jokes after eleven. No shoes on the furniture no animals, no long-distance phone calls-unless it's an emergency and you have to call your parents, or I do. No food in your rooms. We don't want any bugs. No running or slamming doors. My study is off limits to you three unless I send for you to come in. No sliding down the banisters, or running on the stairs. No jumping on the beds, curfew is at ten for everyone. I will lock the door at that time, dinner is at seven sharp. If you're late, you won't eat. And no using ghost powers to get in or to get food._

She could break some of the rules later. Right now, she could put her shoes on the couch, and claim that she thought he meant that they couldn't put their shoes on the furniture while they were wearing them. She could slide down the banister until he caught her. She could call Sam and just talk. That would be long distance. She would run up and down the stairs until she was caught. She would slam the doors- she knew she would get caught at that easily. She could jump on the bed right now. She got off the bed, climbed back and stood up, and started jumping. She wasn't jumping long before Vlad came in, carrying his belt.

"I told you not to jump on the beds!" She sat down in a hurry.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"No, you aren't. You just memorized my rules so that you could break them on purpose." Sarah tried not to show any emotion. He was right (for once.)

"Now, come here. I'll have to punish you."

"You don't have any authority to punish us. You're just the sitter, even if it is your house."

She turned around. He popped her three times with the belt, then left. Sarah threw herself on the bed and cried her heart out. When was finished, she went to the stairs and started running up and down. She had only made one trip when Vlad came up to her with the belt.

"Ready for another one?"

He popped her three times again and let run into her room. She threw herself on the bed again and cried her eyes out. When she was through, Jazz came to her room.

"Breaking all the rules you can?"

"Yes."

"Which ones have you broken?"

"No jumping on the beds and no running on the stairs."

"I'll break some more, and give you a break." Sarah usually followed the rules.

"I'll talk Danny into calling Sam or Tucker. That'll be long distance."

"We'll probably all get the belt, since we're only here till Monday afternoon."

"Right. You just rest your little head until tomorrow, and then you can start breaking the rules again if you're up to it."

"We'll see." Sarah said. Jazz smiled and left the room, closing the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**First night, prt 2**

**Disclaimer: **See earlier chapters. I do not own Pride and Prejudice 

Danny stuck his head in next.

"Why are you crying, little sis? Did Vlad hurt you? If he did, I promise he will regret it."

Sarah rolled over and sniffled. Her eyes were red.

"No, Danny, I deserved it. I broke two rules."

"Oh. Which ones?"

"No jumping on the bed, and no running on the stairs. Jazz is going to break some rules, too. She wants you to break the no long distance calls and call Sam or Tucker."

"Do you know what rules Jazz will break?"

"No, but I have some suggestions to make for her."

Sarah went to Jazz's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Jazz called. Sarah stuck her head in. "I have some suggestions for you. Put your shoes on the couch, if he fusses at you, say you thought that he meant only when we were wearing them.

"All right. But what if I don't get in trouble for it?"

"You could slide down the banisters until you get caught, or sneak into his study. You know where it is."

"Yes, but why should I be the one to sneak in?"

"Allright. I'll sneak in tomorrow." Sarah went back to Danny.

"She'll be sliding down the banisters and putting her shoes on the couch. But she'll say that she thought he meant only when we're wearing them. If she doesn't get in trouble for that, I'll sneak into his study tomorrow."

"Good plan. Maybe I should find a bowling ball and send it down the stairs after eleven." (Thanks to **phantomschia** for that idea the first time I posted this.)

Sarah laughed.

"Do it. That's a great idea. Look in the attic."

Danny laughed "Good hiding place."

Sarah went and told Jazz good night.

"Danny's going to try to find a bowling ball and roll it down the stairs after eleven."

"All right. Thanks for the warning."

"No problem." The stairs were un-carpeted, so you can imagine the noise!

Vlad would get quite a rude wake up!

Sarah went to Danny's room.

"Maybe you should wait until early this morning like, four in the morning."

"Maybe! That sure would wake him up!" Danny laughed. Sarah went back to her room in a hurry, until she reached the stairs. Then she went and told Jazz "He'll wait until early tomorrow morning."

"Rude wake up call, huh?"

"Yeah. Did you put your shoes on the furniture yet?"

"Yeah. He hasn't fussed at me yet. I wonder why not?"

James came upstairs.

"Oh, Ms. Sarah, could I trouble you and Ms. Jazzmin to meet Master Vlad in front of his study?"

"Sure, James." Sarah pulled her head back out into the hall. She put it back into Jazz's room.

"Vlad wants to speak to us in front of his study. Come on."

Sarah went down stairs, with Jazz right behind her. She stopped right in front of the study, where Vlad was holding a pair of black-and-white shoes.

"Yes, Vlad? You wanted to see us?" she asked

"Yes, Ms. Badger. I found these on the couch in the living room. Whose are they?"

"They're mine, Vlad. I didn't mean to leave them on the couch. I'm sorry." Jazz said.

"I specifically told you three not to put your shoes on the couch."

"I thought you only meant when we were wearing them."

"Well, be as that may, I don't want to see you doing it again."

"Yes, sir."

"Good, you may go now." The girls went back upstairs.

"He didn't punish me. What do you think that means? He understands I was testing him? He knows he should have expected us to break that rule because it was vague? What?"

"I don't know. The only way to find out is to slide down the banister; you're bound to get caught quickly, since he _is _downstairs."

"You're right. Should I do it now, or right before he goes to bed?"

"How about right before he goes to bed? No, after he goes to bed. See if he catches you."

"Good plan."

"I'm sure Danny would have said the same thing."

"You're right. I guess we could ask Danny his ideas for pranks and misbehavior, but you're usually the one who comes up with the pranks."

"Well, he _was _the one to come up with the bowling ball down the stairs thing."

They heard someone come up the stairs.

"Hi, Vlad." Sarah said.

"Good night, ladies. I'm very tired tonight, so I'd appreciate it if you two would keep it down."

"Yes, sir." Jazz said, having come out to say good night to Vlad.

Vlad went into his room and closed the door.

"So...wait till he's snoring?" Jazz asked."

"Yes. Definitely."

"Has Danny gone into the attic to look for the bowling ball, yet?"

"I don't know. I'll see."

Sarah contacted Danny.

_Sarah to Dan-man. Have you gone up to the attic to look for the bowling ball, over?_

_Stop talking like that. I'm in the attic now._

_Any luck?_

_Not yet._

"He's in the attic now, but he can't find a bowling ball yet."

"Oh. I could have asked him."

"Let's hope he's back in his room before Vlad goes to tell him good night."

"You're right."

Sarah contacted Danny

_Vlad said he was "very tired" tonight. He may be coming to your room soon to say good night. You better get down there soon._

Vlad came out in his boxers.

_I think he's coming now._

Danny phased through the floor to his room.

Vlad knocked on the door.

"Good night, Little Badger. Pleasant dreams."

"Good night, Vlad." Vlad came back up the hall.

"Pleasant dreams, ladies. And remember to keep it down, please."

"Good night, Vlad." He left the door open a foot. After they heard him start snoring, the siblings put their plans into action. Well, Danny went back up into the attic, and Jazz got ready to start sliding down the banister. Sarah went back into her room and started reading Pride and Prejudice.

She giggled as she heard Jazz slide down the banister again and again.

She heard Vlad open his door all the way. It banged against the far wall.

"Jazzmin Madeline, just what do you think you're doing?"

"Sliding down the banister." Jazz said.

"I told you three not to do that because I was afraid you would break the banister, and get hurt. Now, why are you sliding down the banister?"

"It's fun."

"Surely you can have fun other ways, besides breaking the rules I gave you."

_He just lectured her. What will he do to Danny? Is Danny downstairs making that call right now?_ Sarah asked herself. She contacted Danny.

_Hey, Danny?_

_Yeah?_

_You making that call yet?_

_I was just dialing. It's ringing now._

"Hello, Manson residence. To whom do you wish to speak?"

"Is Sam there?"

"Yes. Please hold."

Sam came to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Sam. It's me, Danny."

"Danny? Is Vlad letting you call?"

"No. You know why we're here."

"To teach Vlad that raising a family isn't easy."

"Yeah. One of his rules is no long-distance calls unless it's an emergency."

"Let me guess. You, Jazz, and Sarah are breaking all the rules you can, to prove to him that kids will break rules?"

"Yeah. Anyway, Jazz suggested that I call you or Tuck and run up his bill."

"Have all of you decided which rules you want to break?"

"Yes. Sarah broke the no running on the stairs and no jumping on the beds. Jazz broke the no shoes on the furniture and no sliding down the banister."

"How did he punish them?"

"Sarah he spanked, but he just lectured Jazz, except for the shoes on the furniture. He just told her not to let it happen again."

"So, what other rule will you break, since your sisters both broke two?"

"I think I'll use my ghost powers to sneak food into my room. He said no food in our rooms, and we couldn't use our ghost powers to sneak in or to get food. Dinner is at seven sharp, and if we're late, we can't eat. Curfew is at ten, he locks the doors at that time, and if we're late, we can't get in."

"Oh. So, dinner will be going up to your room later tonight?"

"And possibly Sarah's. And Sarah came up with the idea of me getting a bowling ball and sending it downstairs early tomorrow morning. The stairs aren't carpeted, so you can just imagine the noise it'll make! I'm looking forward to that. Well, I'm the one who came up with sending it down the stairs, but Sarah suggested early this morning."

"Please tell me about it later."

"Oh, I will. Trust me. You and Tucker will probably get a play-by-play on this entire "adventure" later. And earlier today, Sarah turned invisible, grabbed her stuffed cat, and sneaked into Vlad's study, which we aren't suppose to go into, anyway. She rubbed the cat against his leg and said 'Meow'. He jumped back and asked himself 'How could a ghastly cat get into my house?! Why can't I see it?!'"

Sam laughed. Danny felt a dark shadow fall over him.

"I think Dracula- that's what Sarah called him once- just discovered my call." He turned around.

"I was right. Bye, Sam. See in you school tomorrow."

Danny hung up.

"I made that rule so that if your parents called, they would be able to reach me. Now, go to your room and think about how you might have scared them." Vlad said.

"Yes, sir." Danny went up stairs. But before he went to his room, he stopped at Sarah's.

"He just sent me to my room to think about how I might have scared Mom and Dad had they tried to call while I was on the phone."

"Oh. He just lectured Jazz on why she shouldn't have been sliding down the banister."

"I told Sam about what you did earlier." Danny went to his room. Then he phased through the ceiling to the attic. He kept looking for a bowling ball. He found a lot of disco stuff, and a bowling ball.

"This'll work."

"Oh, children. I have something to tell you." Vlad called upstairs. The Fentons gathered at the top of the stairs.

"Yes?" they called.

"You won't be going to school tomorrow, because we won't be able to get you there in time for class, and I don't want to get any of you in trouble with your teachers. I'll call some teacher friends of mine. One teaches Jazz's grade, one teaches Danny's grade, and the other teaches Sarah's grade."

"But what about absences? What'll we do for an excuse?" Sarah asked.

"Don't worry about that one bit, Ms. Badger. I'll handle it."

"What if Mom and Dad don't approve of it?" Jazz asked.

"Leave every thing to me, eldest badger. I can handle it."

_They won't be happy._ Sarah told her siblings.

The phone rang. James answered it.

"Master Vlad, a long distance call from Jack Fenton. He says it's an emergency."

"Very well, then." Vlad picked up the phone in the hall.

"Yes, Jack? No, your children are NOT behaving themselves. Sarah jumped on her bed, ran up and down the stairs, Jazzmin slid down the banister, and Daniel made a long-distance phone call."

"Ha, ha, Vlady! They're just being kids. But what I called you about was Maddie's sick and won't be over it in time to come home tomorrow afternoon. Do you mind watching the kids until Tuesday afternoon?"

"Alright. I'm hiring some teacher friends to come and give the children their lessons. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not! What ever made you think I would?"

"The children said you would. Sarah is worried about being absent."

"We've taught them never to skip school, unless they were sick. And Sarah's just worried about getting in trouble with us."

"Oh, I'll put that worrying little mind at ease. Tell Maddie to concentrate on getting better. I'm handling the disciplinary problems like an old pro."

"You always were so disciplined in college. Forgiving me for that accident, and now taking care of my kids! What have I done to deserve such a friend?"

_Nothing, we're not friends; I'm just trying to convince your wife to divorce you and come to me._ Vlad thought.

"Everyone needs friends."

"We do, V-man! How did you punish them?"

"I spanked Sarah with my belt, and lectured Daniel George and Jazzmin Madeline."

"You spanked Sarah? That's ineffective. Did I ever tell you that Danny's middle name came from my father and Jazzy's came from me? And Sarah's first name came from Maddie's grand-aunt?"

"Yes. It was with the birth announcements."

"Oh, that's right. Well, I gotta go. See ya Tuesday!" Jack hung up.

"Oh, children!" Vlad went back to the stairs. The kids were still there.

"That was your father; your mother is unwell and can't travel until Tuesday. So you three will be staying with me for one more day."

"Yes, sir." Sarah said, speaking for herself as well as for Danny and Jazz.

"What did he say about...?"

"He's okay with what I plan to do for tomorrow, and he explained why you were so against it. Don't worry, Ms Badger, you won't be skipping. Now, I'll have to go call them. Good night. You three should go straight to bed, now."

"Good night." The kids went to their rooms. Jazz went to bed, but Sarah and Danny talked their plan out.

_I found a bowling ball._

_How heavy is it?_

_Three pounds._

_That should be enough, but it may not roll like a bowling ball would._

_True. I'll stay with it, intangible, of course._

_Then it'll turn invisible and he won't know what's making the noise! Perfect! Make sure it goes all the way down._

_Will do. Goodnight._

_Goodnight. And make some extra noise, too._

Sarah and Danny both went to sleep. At three in the morning, Sarah woke up to a terrible noise. She knew that it was Danny, with the bowling ball, but she ran out into the hall, so that she wouldn't get Vlad suspicious. Jazz came out as well.

"Where is Daniel?" Vlad asked.

"He's a heavy sleeper." Jazz said.

"A VERY heavy sleeper. He could sleep through World War Three." Sarah said.

"What IS that noise?!" Vlad demanded.

"Our imaginations?" Sarah asked. Danny phased through the floor up to his room and got into bed. Vlad stormed to his room and threw the door open.

There was Danny, in bed, fast asleep.

"Well, he _is_ a heavy sleeper, then."

"Don't you think we know how heavy a sleeper our own brother is?" Sarah asked.

Vlad didn't turn around. "Get back to bed, you two. Your teachers will be here at six to try and figure out where you three are in your separate lessons."

"I have mine marked with bookmarks." Sarah said.

"The teachers always ask us to mark it so that they could always remember where we stopped."

_I wish the cameras would mess up._ Sarah thought.

Sarah went back to bed and lay down.

"I wish that the cameras would mess up." she said softly.

Wanda heard her. There was a poof, and later that morning...

"I'll have to call an electrician!" Vlad yelled.

"Good thing I know what the children were doing last night." he said.

_He thinks,_ Sarah thought, sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Hurry, Ms. Badger. Your teacher's here." Vlad said. Sarah kept chewing and cutting her pancakes.

"Well, I suppose that you shouldn't eat _too_ fast. You might get sick."

"Yes, sir. I wouldn't like that."

"I wouldn't, either. Your parents would think it was all my fault."

"It WOILD be, since you're encouraging me to eat faster."

"Be that as it may, young lady, but they wouldn't let Vladimir Masters sit for their children again.

"Wouldn't want _that _to happen, now, would we?" Sarah muttered under her breath, sarcastically.

"What was that, Sarah Jessica Fenton?" Vlad asked, sternly.

"I said, 'We wouldn't want _that _to happen, now, would we?'"

"No, we wouldn't."

Sarah finished her breakfast, and pushed her plate away. She got up and went to the sink. Since she knew Vlad was watching to make sure she didn't do anything bad, she just washed her hands.

"Thanks for messing up the cameras, Wanda." She whispered to her necklace.

"No problem, sweetie. Thanks for making that wish."

"Wouldn't want you exploding from magical back-up, would we?"

"I wonder what Cosmo's doing? I'm sure Danny's making wishes on the sly."

"I didn't mean to make that wish, but I'm glad I did."

Sarah went to her room, where her books were. She picked up her back pack and notebook, and jumped down the stairs, as Jazz and Danny came walking down. Sarah stopped jumping long enough to whisper to them "The cameras are messed up. He'll have to call an electrician." Then she continued jumping.

"I wonder how they messed up?" Jazz asked, smiling. She thought Sarah-or maybe Danny- had "gone ghost", turned invisible, and messed them up somehow. She doesn't know about the fairies, of course.


	6. Chapter 6

**Annoying Vlad**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "**Danny Phantom**" I also do not own any of the songs I list. Vlad may seem a little out of character in this chapter.

Danny, Sarah, and Jazz sat down at the table together. Vlad sat at the head, as usual.

"Mom & Dad are coming home tonight." Sarah smiled as she cut into her pancakes. Danny and Jazz also smiled. Vlad tried to hide his smile.

"I don't like 80's music." Vlad said, suddenly. The siblings looked at each other and smiled. Sarah was formulating a plan already.

_Alright! I have a lot of 80's albums! I'll name a song through telepathy, and you say it, alright? Let's se how far we can get before he gets mad. He seems to be in a good mood this morning._

"Your teachers have called and they will all be late this morning."

"Yes, sir." Sarah said. She told Danny _Love is a battlefield._

"_Love is a battlefield."_

"Well, Daniel, that was odd, but true. Love is quite the battlefield." Vlad said.

"_A View to a Kill_." Sarah said.

"Pardon me, Ms. Badger?" Vlad asked.

_Owner of a Lonely Heart,_ Sarah told Danny.

"_Owner of a lonely heart_." Danny said. _That's Vlad!_

"_Love stinks_." Sarah said. _Janie's got a gun_.

"_Janie's got a gun_."

"And why would Janie have a gun?" Vlad asked.

_Take my breath Away, _Sarah told Danny.

"_Take my breath Away_." Danny said.

"And why would I want to do that?" Vlad asked. _Aside from the obvious reasons, _he thought.

"_Everybody have fun tonight_." Sarah said.

"What?" Vlad asked.

_More than this, _Sarah told Danny.

"_More than this_" Danny said.

"How do you know all these 80's songs?" Vlad asked. "I said that I don't like 80's music."

"_Careless Whispers_." Sarah said.

_Invisible touch_.

"_Invisible Touch."_ Jazz said. She had caught on and knew 80's songs herself.

"_Higher Love." _Danny said.

"That's your parent's song." Vlad said.

"_People are People"_ Jazz said.

"_Sailing." _Sarah sang. They were not done with breakfast.

_Hold Me Now, _Sarah told Danny.

"_Hold me now." _Danny said.

"You want someone to hold you, Daniel?" Vlad asked.

"_If you don't know me by now." _Jazz said.

_Lady in Red, _Sarah told Danny.

"_Lady in Red." _Danny said.

"_All around the world,"_ Jazz said.

_Big in Japan, _Sarah told Danny.

"_Big in Japan."_ Danny said.

"_Into the Groove." _Sarah said.

"_Here I go again." _Jazz said.

_Need You tonight, _Sarah told Danny.

"_Need you tonight." _Danny said. _Is that a song?_ He asked Sarah.

_Yes._

"_Glory of Love." _Jazz said.

"That's enough, children!" Vlad stormed out.

The siblings smiled at each other.

"Twenty songs. I didn't think he would last THAT long." Sarah laughed.

**Next chapter: **Knocking on every wooden surface available, including his door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Annoying Vlad, part 2**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "**Danny Phantom**". I do not own any of the songs I name, either, like in the last chapter.

It was after school. Sarah had told Danny and Jazz her plan. They had agreed.

During lunch, Sarah had started it. She had put one hand under the table and started knocking. Vlad had called to James.

"James, there's someone at the door!" James had checked.

"No one is there, Master Vlad!" he had called

"Why am I hearing someone knocking?" Vlad had asked.

"I don't hear anything, Vlad. Maybe you need your hearing checked." Sarah had suggested. Vlad had looked under the table then. Sarah rested her hand. When Vlad sat back up, Danny started knocking. _He's getting ready to check again. _Sarah warned him. He stopped. _Let's start knocking in rhythm after school. Do you know the 80's song "Gloria"?_

_Yes._ Jazz did as well. They told her the plan.

"Let's knock out our own songs. Like Danny can take "Gloria", I'll take "Kokomo", and Sarah can take another song." Jazz whispered.

"I'll take _Janie's got a gun."_

_Alright._

So after school, they started. Sarah knocked on his door, but ran off before he answered. He had been taking a nap.

_Knock, knock, knock, knock_. She heard him get up, so she ran downstairs.

Later, when he came into the living room and sat down in his usual chair, she started kicking the underside of the coffee table.

Kick, kick, kick, kick, kick, kick,kick,kick, kick kick kick kick, kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick.

"Please stop that, Sarah Jessica."

"Stop what, Vladimir Winston?"

"Kicking the coffee table to the tune of "_Janie's got a gun_."

Danny came in and sat down by Sarah. He started kicking the coffee table as well.

_Kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick._

"Daniel George, I don't like for my guests to kick out the tune of _"Gloria."_

"Yes, sir."

Jazz came in and sat down in front of the coffee table, and started knocking on the underside.

_Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock._

"Jazzmin Madeline, as I told both of your siblings, stop that."

"Yes, sir, Vladimir Winston."

"And you three stop calling me by my first and middle names."

"When you stop calling us by OUR first and middle names." Sarah said.

"Oh, you want a compromise, is that it? Very well. I'll stop calling you by your first and middle names if you stop calling me by mine, and stop breaking my rules."

"Deal. But if you go back on your part of the deal, we go back on ours."

"Alright."

_Tonight can __not__ come fast enough for me_, Vlad thought.

_He is so right, _Sarah agreed.

**A/N: **I know I said they would knock in rhythm, but they couldn't very well knock on the coffee table. They would have been caught even sooner. It makes more sense if you happen to be listening to those songs while reading this.


	8. Chapter 8

**Vlad's new method of punishment**.

"There are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly." ~Windred Newman

**Disclaimer: **See earlier chapters

Sarah didn't know what would happen. She contacted Danny.

_Danny, he's got me strapped to a chair and he says he's going to experiment with punishments. I need your help. He says not even Skulker could get out of this thing._

"Now, let's see. What was I going to punish you for first? Oh, yes, that sentence. Let's see,

Should I punish you for every word, or just the entire sentence?"

"Mmmmph, mmmmph!" Sarah said through the restraint on her mouth.

"What's that, Ms. Badger? Oh, I'm afraid I can't let you off."

"So what if she wrote _Vlad needs a cat?_ Is that really a good reason to punish her for it, Vladimir Winston Masters the fourteenth?" Danny asked.

"Oh, alright, Daniel. This is for sneaking into my study." He pressed the second button.

"Mmmmmmmph!" Sarah yelled as electricity coursed through her body.

"Vladimir Winston the fourteenth! Do you really think that electrocuting my little sister is going to teach her a lesson? That could kill her!"

"Oh, no, Daniel. I'm not that cruel. It isn't nearly enough to kill her; just shock her."

"Are you sure? What if our mother was to hear about this?"

"Oh, using your enemy's weakness against him, my boy? You have been learning something from me, haven't you?"

"Let her go, Plasmius. Or not only will Mom hear about this, but so will my father. He'll also hear about how you bad mouth him and want to get Mom to divorce him, and marry you."

"Well, now, what makes you so sure he'll believe you?"

"With Jazz and Sarah agreeing with me, he'll have to."

Vlad pressed the last button, and Sarah was freed. She ran to Danny and hugged him.

"Thank you. I knew I could count on you." she whispered.

"'Oh, Danny. You're such a brave, strong boy. I knew you'd save me.'" Vlad mocked Sarah.

"He did. If I were you, I wouldn't count on him saving your useless butt from your enemies in the Ghost Zone." Sarah turned and glared at the man who had electrocuted her.

"It was only five volts."

"She's only nine."

"What makes you think I have enemies in the Ghost Zone, Ms. Badger?"

"Surely, not every ghost listens to you and does your bidding. Ever try bossing around the Fright Knight? Or Pariah Dark? Don't try that again, or Mom _will _find out."

Danny and Sarah picked their bags up from where they had dropped them, and went up to their rooms.


	9. Chapter 9

**Parents come back**

"Once you choose hope, anything's possible." ~Christopher Reeve

**Disclaimer: **I do not own **"Danny Phantom", **or **Catwoman **and **Batman**. Or **Uncle John's Bathroom Reader**.

Sarah and Danny went upstairs to pack. When they were through, they went downstairs. They called up to Vlad "We're going outside, Vlad!"

They went out on the back deck.

"Want to practice flying?" Danny asked Sarah. She still had much to learn. Like how to land.

"We need to concentrate on landing especially. I still fall to my knees."

"Exactly, Princess." Sarah transformed.

"Belleza espectro." Danny said. (Beauty ghost in Spanish) (I couldn't find "Beautiful" in my Spanish/English dictionary.)

Sarah laughed. "Tu es muy hermoso, hombre." (You are very handsome, brother, in Spanish.)

Danny transformed.

"Hermoso spectro." (Handsome ghost.) Danny went intangible and flew into the sky. So did Sarah. Danny landed perfectly. Sarah concentrated on landing on her feet, but instead, she landed on her hands and knees.

"Try concentrating on landing on your feet." Danny said, helping her up.

"I did, but it didn't help."

"Well, maybe..." Vlad came out and transformed. He flew over to them.

"Working on landing, Ms. Badger? As you two know, I have cameras out here. I saw you two working on landing, and decided to come out and help. Sarah's not my enemy."

"Very uncharacteristic of you, Plasmius." Danny said.

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Dan- man." Sarah told her brother.

"True. You can go intangible. I warn you, though, I will be watching, if you try to attack her, I will be here to save her." Danny turned back into a human.

"Why, Little Badger, I'm surprised you think I'd try to hurt a defenseless little girl."

"Defenseless? I'll show you defenseless." Sarah shot a blue ectoplasmic beam up into the sky. She hit a bird, and roasted it to a crisp. It fell to the ground.

"Very good, Ms. Badger!" Vlad said. Danny picked up the bird. It burned him.

"Don't think you can start cooking,"

"Relax." Danny transformed, in case he needed to save Sarah from Vlad.

Vlad turned invisible and flew into the sky. "Well, Ms. Badger? Are you coming?"

Sarah glanced at Danny.

"Go on. I'm right here if you need me." Sarah turned intangible, and flew up to Vlad.

"You had to get permission from big brother?"

"I wanted to know if he thought it was safe."

"You've tried visualization, but it didn't work. The only way you can get better at landing is by practice. You must practice every day until you get better."

"Yes, sir."

"I still practice certain techniques."

"Yes, sir." Vlad took off and landed on his feet.

"Just as I did, Ms. Badger." Sarah took off and tried to land. Danny caught her.

"Slow down as you come closer to the ground."

"Alright, I'll try to remember."

Sarah took off again. She slowed down as she came closer to the ground, but still ate dirt.

"Maybe third time's the charm, Princess." Danny said, trying to encourage her.

Sarah took off again. She slowed down as she got closer to the ground. She landed perfectly.

"Third time's the charm, Ms. Badger!" Vlad said.

"Alright, Princess!" Danny clapped Sarah on the back, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Sorry about that."

"It's alright."

"Let's try shielding." Vlad suggested.

"How do I make a shield?"

"Just think of one." Danny said.

"Alright. Let's give her visual, shall we, Daniel?"

_Like Catwoman® and Batman®._

**A/N: **You know how sometimes Catwoman® tries to help Batman®? That's what she's talking about.

Vlad shot a pink (?) ectoplasmic beam at Danny. Danny blocked it with a green shield.

"See how easy it is?"

"Easier said than done." Sarah said.

"Yes. Well... How about giving it the old college try, anyway?" Vlad asked. They had all reappeared.

"All right." Sarah walked about three feet from Vlad, still transformed.

"This far enough?" She asked.

"Yes."

Sarah concentrated on making a shield. She made a circle in the air with her arms. A blue shield formed. It was big enough to cover her front.

"Yes. Now to see if it holds up."

"I'll do this, Vlad." Danny shot an ectoplasmic beam at his sister. To their surprise, it bounced off.

"That only took one try! But she'll still have to practice it." Vlad said.

"All right, Sarah! That's good enough!" Danny called. Sarah relaxed.

"That took a lot out of me." She slumped to the ground, and transformed back into her human form. Danny flew up to her and picked her up. He flew back into the house with her.

"It'll get easier. It just takes practice, is all. But it's worth it."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Just wait until you defeat your first ghost."

"But I said I don't want to fight, and I wished that Skulker and Walker would forget about my powers."

"True. But you'll want to be able to protect yourself in case you get caught in a battle."

"You're right." Danny laid Sarah on the couch. He transformed back into a human.

"Mom and Dad will be home tonight." he whispered to her as she fell asleep. The effort had drained her. He took her shoes off. Vlad came in.

"It looks like we have more common ground, Little Badger."

"Well, we both love Sarah, true. We're both half ghost due to my father's inventions, and we both love my mother, though not in the same way."

"I wonder where Jazzmin is."

"Probably packing. We're all excited about Mom and Dad coming home."

"I can't blame you."

"We finally get to go home."

"I know you miss your own beds."

"And our parents."

"And your parents. I miss your mother the most."

"I know, please don't remind me."

"Daniel, why do you think I need a cat so badly?"

"You're a single billionaire. Lonely guys need cats, especially if they can't get human companionship, like girls."

"You think I can't get girls?"

"I don't see any."

(**A/N: **Vlad isn't attacking Danny because of Sarah. He's afraid he might hit her. And what if Jazz comes downstairs?)

Sarah rolled over and sighed.

"The poor girl's totally whipped."

"She'll just have to build up her strength, is all. Slowly, but surely." Danny said.

"I just hope that she thinks as positively as you do, Little Badger."

"Will you quit calling me that? I'm not from Wisconsin, I'm from Iowa."

"I'll call you what I want to, Daniel."

"I can't wait until Mom and Dad get home."

Sarah's hands started to glow with ectoplasm.

"Uh-oh. Her powers are developing too quickly. Sarah, wake up." Danny shook his little sister's shoulder. Sarah woke up. Her hands stopped glowing.

"What happened?" She asked groggily.

"You started making an ectoplasmic ball. It seems we must teach you to control your powers while you're asleep." Vlad explained.

"How do you propose we do that, Vlad?" Danny asked sarcastically.

"She'll have to stay with me longer. Maybe we can convince your parents that she's sick, and that she shouldn't travel."

"I could train her."

"You've only had these powers for what, a year? What makes you so sure you'll always be able to control them on your own?"

Sarah got up and went outside.

She screamed. It turned into a ghostly wail. She had her mouth open all the way. A tree fell into the pond on Vlad's property.

"Were there any fish in there?" she called.

"No, but I'm amazed! I didn't get that ability until recently. Her powers really are developing faster!" Danny said.

"I don't even have that power." Vlad said.

"I do. I'll teach her to control that one."

"I know how to control my anger."

"You don't know how to control your screams, though."

"True. How do I keep from using that, besides not opening my mouth all the way when I scream? But I always open my mouth all the way when I scream when I'm scared. It's a reflex."

"True. How do we teach you to control that?" Vlad asked. The door was still open.

"You weren't attached to that tree, were you?"

"No. It was diseased, anyway."

"Good. Hey, maybe I can, like, rent myself out to push over diseased trees! No equipment necessary!"

Danny and Vlad laughed.

"No way Dad would let you do that. Besides, how would you keep your powers a secret then?" Danny asked.

"You're right. But don't you think I could make a killing?" Sarah asked, coming in and closing the door.

"Yes. But I don't know how Dad would re-act to that. No, he would want to study you under a microscope."

"No, he'd want to slice me apart molecule by molecule."

"He would."

"And there'd be nothing we could do to stop him."

"I'm sure the fact that you're his daughter would change his mind."

"Dad doesn't change his mind easily."

"True, but I'm sure he would at least consider the fact that you're his own flesh and blood before dissecting you." Vlad said.

"No. He's wanted to study the composition of a ghost since I don't know when."

"Well, why don't you two ask him? Say it's hypothetical."

"Oh, sure, 'Dad, what if you had the chance to dissect a ghost, but it was one of your deceased relatives. Would you do it?' 'In a heart beat, Princess! Besides, my relatives are too smart to become ghosts.' "

"Too smart to become ghosts! Becoming a ghost wasn't a choice!" Vlad shouted.

"You're just a half-ghost. Becoming a ghost should be a choice after you die." Sarah said.

"Gummy worms, Ms. Badger!"

"Call me 'Ms. Badger' one more time, and I'll let you feel my ectoplasmic blast." Sarah told Vlad. She came over and sat on the couch. Danny leaned close to her and whispered "Ectoplasm doesn't really affect humans."

"Darn it." Danny laughed.

"I've always wanted to hurt him, too." he whispered.

Jazz came downstairs. Sarah got off the couch and went outside.

"A really strong wind must have blown that tree into your pond." she said.

"Not that strong of one. At least it didn't have to be. The tree was diseased, anyway."

"Oh."

"Now I don't have to spend any money to have it removed."

"True. Mother nature already handled it for you."

"Vlad doesn't like spending money. No doubt he would never have children."

"Not if I have to share my wife."

"You'd be sharing children." Jazz said. She looked out.

"Where's Sarah? I can't see her."

"She's on one of the Adirondacks. I saw her sit down." Danny said.

"Oh. What time will Mom and Dad be home?"

"I really don't know, my dear."

"Probably tonight."

"None of your teachers could make it today, and since you WILL be going home today, yesterday was the last day of "home schooling" for the three of you." Vlad said. There was a bright flash outside on an Adirondack. Sarah took off.

"Looks like Sarah wants to fly again." Jazz laughed. "I know you two were teaching her to land outside."

"She stuck it on the third try." Danny said.

"We also taught her how to make a shield." Vlad said. Jazz laughed.

"She stuck it? What is she, a gymnast?"

"Landing isn't easy." Danny said.

"Well, she seems to be practicing." Jazz pointed out the French doors. Sarah was taking off and landing in the back yard. It had clouded over. Now, the bottom fell out. Sarah made a shield and ran into the house. She phased through the doors and dropped the shield. Jazz went back upstairs.

"Very good, Miss Badger!" Vlad exclaimed.

"You said I needed to practice." Sarah said, simply. She shivered and sneezed.

"Looks like someone's coming down with a cold." Vlad said. "Maybe she should stay here with me until she's over it. She _really _shouldn't be traveling."

_Could Vlad be becoming more human? He's never acted like this before. Or could he be plotting to always get me sick before it's time to leave, so that Mom and Dad will always have to leave me? I don't want them to leave me here._ Sarah told Danny.

_They wouldn't risk your health, but they wouldn't always leave you here. I remember Mom telling Dad once that the perfect place for a sick child is with their family._

_I remember that, too, Dan. Is it just me, or is this guy a major megalomaniac?_

_What does that mean?_

_He exaggerates his own importance or is obsessed with grand things._

_You're alleging this. When did he exaggerate his own importance? Although I will admit that he likes grand things._

_But he lives in a castle! Don't you think he's overcompensating for something?_

_Not being able to get a woman who'll marry him?_

_Yes!_

Sarah ran upstairs.

"Oh, it seems I'll have to punish her again." Vlad said.

"You get a sick pleasure out of that, don't you?" Danny asked.

"No, of course not!"

_You know he does, and you knew he wouldn't admit it, why'd you ask?_ Sarah asked him.

_I don't know; just to see if he'd mess up. I guess._

Sarah sighed. _Mom, are you feeling better? Will you two be coming home today? _Sarah went upstairs to see if Jazz was packing.

"Hey, Jazzy how's the packing coming_?" _Sarah asked their older sister.

"Just fine. Do you know when Mom and Dad are coming home?"

"About seven tonight_."_

"Good. Dracula isn't giving you any trouble, is he?"

"No_."_

"Good."

"Danny's here, so he could handle anything Vlad tried."

"True, he could."

Sarah wandered around, exploring the castle more. She couldn't think of anything else to do. She was bored. She went to her room.

"What can I do that won't get me into trouble? I don't want to read: I don't want to listen to music, I don't want to break any rules, because that'll just get me into trouble. I really don't want to get into trouble before we go home."

She picked up a book, lay down on her bed, and started reading. She had several books with her. She read until lunch. Then she went downstairs to the dining room. She sat next to Danny, who put his hand on her forehead.

"You feel a little warm. You okay?"

"Yes."

"You sure?"

"Danny, I'm fine. Lay off, will you?" Sarah snapped at her brother.

"I think she's coming down with something." Jazz said. The table was already set.

"I'm not hungry." Sarah said, getting up. She transformed and jumped, phasing through the ceiling. Vlad came in.

"Where's Ms. Badger?"

"She wasn't hungry, so she went back upstairs." Jazz said.

"Did she phase through the ceiling? I didn't pass her on the stairs."

"Yes, sir. She felt a little warm, and she snapped at me when I tried to make sure she was feeling okay." Danny said. "She doesn't snap at people unless she's sick."

"Oh, dear. She doesn't need to travel if she's sick."

"She should be with her family if she's sick." Danny said.

"Well, we'll let your parents decide that when they come."

"She'll be coming home, too. Unless Mom decides to stay here and take care of her." Jazz said.

_Which I can't see her doing, even for a sick child, _she thought.

"Let's just do that, then." Danny said. They heard running in Sarah's room.

"I hope she isn't throwing up." Vlad said, although he was thinking the exact opposite. He thought that if Sarah was sick, the Fentons would have to leave her in his care, and then he could nurse her back to health. Then Maddie would divorce Jack and marry him. They heard Sarah flush the toilet, and then rinse her mouth.

"She's throwing up. She may be running a fever. Is there anything going around?"

"She was outside while it was raining." Jazz pointed out.

"But she made a shield and ran in." Danny pointed out.

"I'll go up and take her temperature after lunch." Vlad said. Danny and Jazz smiled and started fixing their plates.

After lunch, Vlad went to get the themonitor. He went to Sarah's room. Her ghost sense went off in a blue cloud. Vlad had transformed to phase through Sarah's door.

"Couldn't you just open the door and come in instead of making me think you were Skulker?" She asked.

"How do you know I'm not Skulker? You haven't looked." Vlad asked.

"My sense comes out in a bigger cloud if the ghost poses a threat. You don't, at least not now."

"I just want to take your temperature."

"Yes, sir." Sarah sat up. Vlad had made his way to her bed. She opened her mouth.

"It isn't that kind of themonitor. It's an ear themonitor."

"Whew."

"I wouldn't use a rectal themonitor on a nine year old anyhow."

"Thank goodness."

"When was the last time you cleaned out your ears?"

"Last night."

"All right. I already have one of those covers on it. Here goes." Vlad stuck the themonitor in her ear and pressed the button. They waited. Vlad took it out and read it.

"100.1 Just a slight temp." He turned intangible and phased through the floor.

Danny and Jazz were in the room below them. They accosted Vlad as he appeared in the room.

"Well? Is she able to come home? How is she? Please say she's okay."

"Children, please give me some breathing room." They stepped back one step.

"Thank you. Now, she has a slight temp, but it'll be up to your parents to decide whether or not to take her home."

"How slight a temperature?" Jazz demanded.

"100.1, Jazzmin."

"Oh, she'll go home. It's your fault she's sick, anyway. You knew it'd rain, but you let her go out, anyhow. My parents would be fools to leave her here with you!"

"I'll let a nurse see to her until your parents get home."

"And who's to say that the nurse won't make it worse?" Jazz demanded.

"Jazz, just because they work for him, doesn't mean that they would make a little girl sicker so that she can't go home with her parents." Danny interjected.

"Quite right, Daniel. Although I'm surprised that you stood up for me so quickly."

"Well, I want out little sister to get well as quickly as possible." Danny said.

Vlad rang a bell that was sitting on a chest of drawers. (In the living room.)

A maid answered. "Yes, Master Vlad? You rang?"

"Yes, Jessica. There's a sick girl in the room with the blue door. Please see to it that she gets at least slightly better by seven tonight, if at all possible. She was out in the rain today. She has a temperature of 100.1"

"Oh, the poor dear. Yes, sir, Master Vlad. I'll look after her as if she were my own." The maid hurried into the kitchen to get what she needed.

"See, Jazzmin? She will look after your little sister as if she were her own."

"Well, as long as she lets me look in as well. She needs a familiar face to make her feel safe."

"She isn't a baby, she's just sick. Danny said.

"She might be scared, though, Dan. A familiar face will make her feel more at home."

Jazz went upstairs to her sister's room. A maid stopped her.

"I don't think she's up to visitors right now, dearie."

"I'm her sister. She's up to me visiting."

"If you insist..."

"I do." Jazz went in and sat next to her sister's bed. She gave Sarah a glass of water that was on the bedside table.

"Here you go, Sarah dear. Mom and Dad will find out how you got sick."

"One guess how they'll find out."

"They'll come to pick us up and we'll tell them."

"Here, let me check your temp again." Sarah turned her head and let Jazz stick the themonitor in her ear and pressed the button. They waited, and then Jazz checked.

"No change."

"I wasn't expecting one, no how."

"I wasn't, either."

"So, do you think Mom and Dad will take me home? I mean, yeah, I've heard Mom tell Dad that the best place for a sick child is with their parents, and Vlad is the one who let me go out, even though it was supposed to rain, but the RV isn't exactly an infirmary."

"Mom and Dad will not leave their youngest with a strange man while she's sick."

"He isn't a strange man: he's Vlad Masters...which makes it many times worse."

Jazz laughed. A maid came in. "Time to take your temperature again, dearie."

"We already did, and it hasn't gone down at all. She's been drinking water." Jazz said, giving Sarah another glass. Sarah drank it, then got up and went into the bathroom.

"She's flushing out her kidneys." Jazz said.

"I hope she's washing her hands." The heard the water in the sink come on.

"She should be right now." Sarah came out.

"Yes, I washed my hands." She got back on the bed.

"I wish Mom and Dad were here right now." she said without thinking.

"I hope Desiree doesn't grant that. Then Danny would have to fight her, and Mom and Dad might see her."

There was a small poof from beside the bed. Jazz thought it was dust. The maid had left. All the clocks (and watches) in the house jumped to seven.

"Where did the time go?" Jazz asked.

Vlad called upstairs. "Jazzmin! Your parents are here to take you home!"

Jazz heard her mother ask, "But what about Sarah?"

"I told Sarah it was supposed to rain today and for her not to go out and play, but she wouldn't listen, and she came down with a fever. I'm afraid I'll have to keep her here until she's well. I know you two don't want to travel with a sick child."

"We don't mind traveling with a sick child, and we will not be leaving Sarah here while she's sick." Maddie said.

"I was hoping I could keep all three children for a bit longer. I have so enjoyed having them here."

"No, Vlad. You let our youngest get sick. We will not let you keep any of our children longer." Jack said.

Sarah jumped up and grabbed her bags, and slipped Wanda around her neck. She hurried downstairs.

"Mom! Dad! You're back!" She dropped her bags and hugged first her father, then her mother.

"You don't look like you've been sick." Maddie said, after Sarah had broken from her and looked up.

"I do have a temperature of 100.1, and I threw up once, but that's all. I feel much better."

"Good. Now ..." Sarah turned to Vlad before her mother could finish. Bernard grabbed Sarah's bags and took them out to the RV.

"I'm sorry for all the practical jokes I pulled on you, for breaking your rules, and for questioning your authority to punish me."

"Apology accepted, Miss Badger." Vlad said. "I hope I can baby-sit them again the next time you two leave town." He told Jack and Maddie.

"Only if you promise not to get our princess sick again. I know she shouldn't have gone out after you told her not to, but it is partly your fault."

"He didn't tell her not to go out. He never watched the weather." Danny said.

"Now, Danny, That's no way to act toward a person who has taken you in and housed you for an entire week." (Give or take a day.)

"But he didn't tell her not to go out! She got mad because we were arguing about something, and she went out to cool down.

"Be that as it may, she shouldn't have gone out unless she asked his permission." Jack said. The family told Vlad good bye, and left.


End file.
